A Little Bit Reckless
by Arcamion
Summary: Andromeda never questioned her life- until she found herself and her family on different sides of right and wrong. When she meets Sirius, he shows her a different life apart from her own, and he shows her how to be a little bit reckless.
1. Chapter 1

A Little Bit Reckless

A stiff, biting wind greeted the newcomers as they arrived at the Briedgeway Harbor. It was a small place, unremarkable in every way except one: the only people who could find it were the ones who knew where to look, and it's single ship only sailed to one destination- Durmstrang.

Brushing soot from their cloaks, three cloaked figures stepped out onto the harbor, one tucking a small drawstring bag of floo powder into her pocket. Despite it being nearly summer, the overcast sky seemed to mirror the dreary landscape. With a frown for the approaching rainstorm, Bellatrix led the way towards the docked ship, tugging irritably at her dark cloak which twisted around her with the gusting wind. Behind her, her younger sister Narcissa buttoned up her white fur and raised the hood to frame her porcelain face. She glanced back, as if to make sure Andromeda was still following, and then sped up to walk with Bella. Andromeda, lagging a couple of yards back, merely shrugged and tucked an unruly strand of brown hair behind one ear.

The girls crossed the empty square and reached the loading ramp of the massive ship. Portholes lined the bottom deck from the galley at one end to the stern at the other. Dim candlelight glowed in a few grimy windows, though more would've been lit had this been a regular school supply run. At the ramp, a tall sailor approached the three teenage girls, deferentially asking for their invitations. Leading them onto the deck of the ship, he gave them each a cabin number and offered to take their cloaks before returning ashore.

Yellow orbs resembling muggle light bulbs hung fastened to the mast and dotted the ship's outer rail like golden snitches hovering against the vast ocean. Aristocratic guests in all manner of formal dress were chatting as house elves scurried around, offering trays of exotic delicacies. The scene was familiar. She hated attending the parties Igor Karkaroff hosted every year during Easter Break at his second-rate school for her parents' and their peers. Donning an expression of casual disdain, short of condescending, but with a definite air of haughtiness that most guests here would associate with, Andromeda began her rounds, kissing powdered cheeks and exclaiming over the "exquisite taste" of each beau monde, who would, in turn, gush about her dress. It was one of society's mandatory rituals that was performed at every soiree, though this one was larger than most. She'd lost count, but thought there had to be at least a hundred people here. While she mingled, the call was made for the ship to set sail.

At the bar, she requested a champagne and stood there sipping the drink as she gazed out over the waves, wishing she could've ordered a butterbeer here. Wishing she'd found an excuse to not be here. Her mother had been insistent though, failing to grasp her daughter's loathing of formal gatherings.

As if she'd been called, Druella noticed her daughter loitering and made her way in that direction, waving and calling out to people as she did so. Frizzy, painfully curled black hair was a close cap around her tanned face, and Andromeda thought her mother looked rather like an Egyptian, tall, tan and dressed all in gold. Druella seemed to assess her daughter similarly, noting the girl's floor-length dress, a red so deep it looked brown in the poor lighting. Thickly braided brown silk hemmed the neckline, made up the thin shoulder straps, and cinched tightly at her waist. The skirt flowed smoothly to her feet, it's heavy fabric draping beautifully over her thin frame. Brown silk braids adorned her wrists as well. Her mother smiled, much, Andromeda thought, like a shark would before it started biting.

"Andromeda, dear, I'm so pleased you could make it this year," her mother trilled, hooking her arm through her daughter's and steering her towards yet another group of people. "If you don't mind, darling, I'd like you to meet a business associate of your father's… A_ young, good looking, marriageable _business associate. He's just come here from London …" Andromeda listened to her mother gush on, trying to hide blatant irritation . After all, Druella was constantly on the prowl for suitors, hoping to make a match for each of her three daughters. She'd succeeded with Bella and Narcissa, who were both engaged, but Andromeda was more wary, knowing the characters of her two soon-to-be brothers in law. As she approached the group of men, she assessed the twenty-something blonde before her. Her mother was right, he was good looking, but in a suave overly charming way that gave you no real scope of his character. When the two ladies approached, the men ended their murmured conversation in order to greet them. Andromeda allowed her father to take her hands, and smiled slightly to hear herself called "ravishing". He then moved on to speak with her mother and she was left alone again.

Sipping her champagne, Andromeda looked out over the rail, wondering how far it was to Durmstrang. She came out of her musings abruptly, feeling a presence behind her. "So this must be Andromeda?" he murmured for her ears only. It was the blonde business associate. He stood right behind her, not even a foot away. She felt instant discomfort, but couldn't take a step forward, away from him. For one, it would be insulting, and for another, one good rock of the boat would then send her over the rail. "Your father raves about you, but even he did not do you justice." His husky voice breathed in her ear. She cringed. _What a creep_.

Andromeda forced a demure smile, shifting away to face him. "You flatter me…" She glanced up into his eyes as she took an inconspicuous step back and he smiled, showing off incredible dental hygiene.

"Please, call me Samuel." _Okay. Please go away Samuel._

She managed to lose Samuel by route of the restroom, and the next hour went by with much chatting and, Andromeda was surprised to see, more drinking than usually went on before dinner. She pursed her lips in amusement, watching her sister sitting at the bar. Narcissa was smiling and talkative, her cheeks rosy. She looked like she'd had one drink too many, but Andromeda knew her sister for a sly politician. She almost pitied Lucius, for Narcissa was such a smooth manipulator that he wouldn't likely realize he was being handled until it was far too late. Whether he knew his fiancé's cleverness or not, however, her betrothed didn't seem to mind as he clinked glasses with her with a charming smile. He thought he was the one pulling the strings, but all who knew him, knew his game. She disliked him on principle.

Druella asked about her conversation with Samuel, her voice cloying honey and her hands clasped together hopefully. Andromeda gave an aggrieved sigh as only a sixteen year-old daughter can. "Not that I don't _appreciate _your obsession with my social life, mother, but… no."

Druella sighed. "But, look at your sisters, darling. Both of them made quite respectable betrothals, and they're both quite happy, starting out their lives, soon to be married! Don't you think it time you think about your future? Samuel Greengrass is a wonderful young man I think. I wonder that you two would look wonderful together." Druella savored the idea a moment, as if looking wonderful together was the epitome of a perfect marriage. Which, for most of the people here, it was. Andromeda made a noncommittal sound and excused herself for the lavatory.

Inside, she found Narcissa gazing into the mirror raptly, reapplying her lipstick. Glancing up at the sound of the door behind her, Narcissa capped the gloss and threw it back into her purse, apparently nettled by something. Andromeda moved to stand by her sister, pretending to be interested in her own reflection. She could read Narcissa like a book. "What's up?"

She saw Narcissa give her a sidelong glance, probably debating on how seriously she meant the casual question. Narcissa shrugged noncommittally and Andromeda smiled fondly at her favorite sister. "Come on, Cissa. I saw you giving Lucius the one-drink-too-many act. What're you trying to weasel out of him?"

"I wasn't trying to weasel anything out of him! He was trying to weasel me!" her sister blurted defensively. Folding her arms, Narcissa glared at her mirror self in evident irritation. "Lucius wants to get married as soon as I graduate. He knows Bella and Dolph haven't set a date yet. Can you imagine what she'd say if I married before her?" she asked, aghast at the very thought. "And besides…" Narcissa continued contemplatively, "I'm not sure if I really want to get married so soon."

"I agree completely," Andromeda volunteered, leaning her hip against the sink. "You're only eighteen, Cissa. Bella's twenty and she's in no hurry. Why rush eternal commitment? It'll happen eventually."

"Mmm," Narcissa agreed. "The funny thing is Lucius doesn't always seem so sure of that."

Andromeda made a face of mock-sympathy. "Maybe he has low self-esteem, the poor guy!" Narcissa gave an incredulous laugh as they walked out of the bathroom together. Weaving through the crowd, the two girls were surprised to hear the Captain announce their arrival at Durmstrang. Searching the waterline, passengers aboard the ship could see a giant dark mass ahead. Cloaked in wards and darkness, the Durmstrang Institute looked like a picture she had once seen of the Rocky Mountains, A never-ending string of peaks straining against the night sky. It was a pity that she couldn't see the stars, but rain was still expected later that night.

They entered the stone harbor beneath the castle within minutes. The longer days of summer had yet to come, and so though it was only 8 o'clock, dusk was beginning to fade. Sandy beaches littered with seaweed and driftwood stretched out on either side of the twin docks, which led straight into the Entrance courtyard. The large group of passengers disembarked from the ship and swept into the castle, women carefully holding their skirts off the ground as if it were slime.

Andromeda looked around the closed-in courtyard. It never ceased to amaze her exactly how paranoid a man like Karkaroff could be. The man hadn't built Durmstrang for students, he'd built it for keeping armies at bay. She supposed his time in Albania could have unhinged him slightly, but she thought the magical object detectors at all entrances were better suited to a prison than a school.

Beyond the stone steps of the Entrance hall, the Great hall stood, circular and cavernous with the lights of a hundred torches ensconced upon gleaming redwood walls and glittering crystal chandeliers. Round tables draped in burgundy and chairs carved with the insignia of Durmstrang were spaced throughout the periphery of the room. The center was cleared for dancing, the expanse of golden tiles on the floor changing to a elegant mosaic of red and gray depicting a compass rose. Andromeda admired it briefly, watching the ten-foot holographic needle swing lazily back and forth around the tile. She briefly entertained herself wondering what it was attracted to: strife, danger, power… what would Karkaroff be interested in finding? She came out of her thoughts when Igor Karkaroff himself came striding through a doorway on the other side of the hall. Arms opened widely in welcome, he gave them all a toothy smile and proclaimed his obviously well-rehearsed and very long-winded welcome speech. Looking around, Andromeda noticed that there were quite a few more teenagers here this year. Parents were likely attempting to groom their offspring towards adulthood by dragging them around to parties and meetings and the like. And besides, she thought, noticing her mother deep in conversation with a short, raven-haired woman, what better way to parade your best assets around without appearing too eager?

"….so please, if ever you are in need of anything, just ask, and it will be provided." Karkaroff's fruity, unctuous voice rang grandly, hinting at a continual close association to every person there.

As she sat at a dining table worth more than some wizards made in a year, surrounded by wizarding society's best dressed and most influential, Andromeda couldn't help thinking, sometimes she really hated this aspect of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

A Little Bit Reckless

Chapter two

The first mistake she'd made, Andromeda thought, stabbing boredly at her roast lamb, was in sitting at an empty table. Her new tablemates, four affluent ministry officials and their partners, were incredibly boring. She listened to them drone on, keeping the inward sighs unexpressed.

"I'm just saying, what if this Voldemort fellow really does start making business with the ministry?" one red-nosed man blustered, gesturing emphatically with his pudgy hands.

"What could he possibly do?" asked another, a thin, pinched looking man in his late fifties. "The Wizemgamot would never put through any of his radical dictums- withholding jobs from muggle borns and keeping schooling within pure lines.. It's ridiculous to even consider ."

"So you're saying there'd be no support for this action?" asked a woman, raising a thin eyebrow skeptically.

"Of course there would be, there always has been," he said huffily. "But nothing would come of it. Who would approach the bench with a proposal like that? Everyone knows our numbers are dwindling. The traditions of long ago are fading, my dear. Most wizarding kind are half-bloods nowadays anyway." He adjusted his spectacles officiously.

"And besides," a round faced, redheaded lady added, "He already has a lot of support backing him, and not only old-fashioned purebloods."

Someone muttered something along the lines of "filthy half-bloods" but other than that, they kept to their meal until the first man asked again, "But what if he did approach the bench?"

The pinch- faced man let his fork fall with a clatter. "Oh good grief!"

Andromeda was only too pleased when the band began to set up their instruments onstage. She excused herself politely, though she doubted anybody noticed. Where she was going, she didn't even know, but wherever it was, it had to be better than here. She was just starting towards the dance floor when her mother passed her. Touching her arm briefly, Druella asked her to save a dance for Samuel.

Andromeda watched her mother float away, no doubt proud of her evening matchmaking. She looked around quickly, trying to find the intended hopeful. He was still eating dinner, gesturing with his fork at a business associate, no doubt making a point as he stabbed his utensil downwards. Andromeda turned away. Seeing someone coming through the doorway to the outside balcony at the opposite end of the room, she made her way over there. She needed to escape before he noticed her. Before she was halfway across the room, music started playing, and the dinner conversation slowly ceased. Biting her lip, she hastened to the sound of chairs being scraped back as couples began to step out onto the floor. Andromeda made it outside without appearing to hurry too much. Making a hasty glance backwards, she saw him scanning the crowd for someone, probably her, and gratefully closed the door behind her. Leaning against the door, she closed her eyes, not even noticing the balcony's other occupant who stood there looking at her.

She opened her eyes, jumping slightly when she saw him leaning against the wrought iron of the rail. He was tall and lean and solidly built. Black hair fell into his eyes with a casual elegance, curling around his ears, overlong and shaggy. Combined with dark eyes and a slightly crooked nose, it made him look dangerous, a little bit reckless. His expression was indecipherable. As they stood there eyeing each other, it finally began raining. With a rueful smile, Andromeda crossed the balcony to join him at the rail. Casting an impervious charm to keep them dry, she looked across at the stranger. "Hoping to see the stars?"

He gave her a lopsided grin, white teeth flashing in the darkness. "I'd rather get rained on looking for my star out here than go back in there."

"Why?" Was he avoiding his dance card like she was?

He shrugged, looking out at the empty courtyard beneath them. "I'm not much for these parties." Hesitating for a split second, as if unsure, he added wryly, "Not a single one of them can dance and they all steadily get drunker as the night goes on."

Andromeda almost laughed out loud. She'd taken dancing lessons since she was twelve. If there was one thing she could do well, it was dance. Struck with a sudden idea, she asked, "Do you like to dance?"

A black eyebrow lifted humorously. "Was that an offer?"

Andromeda rolled her eyes in irritation before looking at him pointedly, waiting for an answer. He appeared to consider it for a long time. Andromeda sighed in exasperation. If he was going to be a git about it… she started to walk back inside. Hesitating at the door, she glanced back. "Tell me if you change your mind." And with that, she released the charm, letting the rain pour on him, and she left the balcony.

Coming inside from the cool night, Andromeda had to pause and blink a few times to adjust her eyes. The torches set around the perimeter seemed to bounce off every gleaming surface twice as much as before. Several couples were on the floor, dancing a quick-step she didn't immediately recognize.

She looked around and took an empty seat not too far from the balcony, near a group of teenagers including her sisters. Sitting down, she absentmindedly crossed her legs, bouncing one foot up and down. The red skirt made a soft swishing sound with the movement. Her eyes roamed over the room, but despite her (admittedly feeble) attempts not to eavesdrop, her lips curved over the furtive conversation beside her.

"We've got a couple barrels of Ogden's finest from my uncle's cellar. He won't even notice they're missing, I swear…."

"We could have the party at our house. Our parents won't be home until we leave for school in two weeks."

"Your house elf would rat you out in a heartbeat, Regulus." A few other boys laughed at Rudolphus' remark and Regulus protested fiercely.

She tried not to look, she really did, but the thought of seeing her younger cousin after nearly ten years was very tempting. Of their own accord, her eyes turned towards a scrawny lad with a mop of black hair. His choppy bangs hung in his pale green eyes. In the midst of the group of tall, well-built boys verging on adulthood, Regulus looked like the runt of the litter, though he wasn't even two years her junior.

After his older brother, Sirius, had been "contaminated" by Dumbledore's school, Regulus' parents, her aunt and uncle, had deliberated sending him to Durmstrang instead. Whether they had or not, she didn't know. Her parents had sent their three daughters to the Beauxbaton Academy in France. There was a time when Andromeda would have done anything to go to Hogwarts though. She remembered throwing a huge tantrum during her last night before leaving for the academy. Clutching her leather-bound Hogwarts: a History, she'd begged her father to reconsider and allow her to attend Hogwarts. Naturally, he'd refused. There'd been plenty of reasons, but she'd been too distraught to listen or care. Even today, Andromeda kept that book under her mattress, sometimes staring at the moving pictures for hours, wishing she could have gone to Hogwarts. Shaking her head slightly, she cleared the nostalgic thoughts from her head. It was long in the past, and after six years under Madam Maxine's tutelage, she was more than well-educated.

Feeling a burst of cold air, Andromeda shivered and looked around. One of the small iron-bound doors to the balcony was opened, wafting in the cool breeze. Closing the door behind himself was the boy she'd met out there. Pushing sopping wet bangs out of his eyes, he looked around. She suppressed a smile to see his features twist scornfully at the sight of Karkaroff schmoozing some guests. His eyes kept wandering until they locked onto hers. Her heart missed a beat. They were the most beautiful eyes, the dark gray of a morning mist before dawn burns it away.

He was walking towards her. He seemed to radiate tension. A wolfhound in unfamiliar territory. Andromeda wasn't usually lost for words, but when he stopped in front of her, staring down at her with those beautiful eyes, she couldn't say a thing. They just stared at each other until he ran a hand through his hair again and ducked his head.

"Sorry for acting like a git. I didn't mean to offend." he mumbled, his gaze flickering away from hers before returning instantly, tension and intensity burgeoning in gray depths. She had the feeling that apologies didn't come easily to him.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll survive." she said, trying to sound like she didn't care. To tell the truth, the rejection stung a little bit. Which, she thought irritably, it shouldn't. It had just been a whim. He opened his mouth to respond, but behind him, another male voice spoke.

"Andromeda, I've been looking all over for you." Samuel exclaimed, sounding much like a scolding husband, as if she'd been purposefully avoiding him. Which, of course she had been. As if they were the only two there, he looked directly into her eyes over the other guy's shoulder. "Your father tells me you're a terrific dancer. Would you care to dance with me?" Andromeda thought it extremely odd that someone could so instantly irritate her without even trying. She was also deeply aware of the tenebrous eyes of the other boy watching her.

"Well, Samuel, I…" she trailed off, battling between diplomacy and reluctance. Her eyes flashed back to the boy in front of her. He was watching her, a stoic expression on his face flickering into a slight smile. The smile matched the rest of him, a little bit reckless and hinting at danger.

He half turned, looking over his shoulder at Samuel. "Actually, mate, we were about to take a turn around the dance floor ourselves, if you don't mind," he said, perfectly polite, but there was an undercurrent to his tone. Andromeda had to work to keep her expression neutral. Seeing her escape, she stood, putting her arm in that of her "partner". Shrugging gallantly, Samuel flashed a smile, tossing out, "I'll see you later then," as he walked away. Andromeda's eyes narrowed. He sounded so sure of himself, but she had no intention on there being a "later".

Choosing to ignore the possible ramifications of her diplomacy, or rather lack thereof, she glanced up at her partner, who looked down at her. He raised an eyebrow sardonically. Andromeda quirked both eyebrows with a flirtatious smile, as if to say What can I say? I'm irresistible. She tightened her grip on his bicep, another unspoken message. Are we going to dance or what? With a conspiratorial wink, he led her out towards the dance floor among the twirling couples.

In the center of the floor's compass rose, he turned to face her, his gray eyes alight and focused on her face. Her right hand slid easily down his forearm to his left hand. She took his hand, twining his fingers in hers and raising their hands to shoulder-height. Her other hand rested on his shoulder, still damp from the rain. His right arm wrapped around her to rest with his hand against the small of her back. She could feel it, warm through the cloth of her red dress. It was a possessive hold, firm, but not dominating. She felt a moment's thrill before they even started moving.

The first step they took was like breathing; it was natural, effortless. They moved slowly, sinuously, never breaking eye contact. Each movement was fluid and in synch, as if she'd been dancing with this stranger all her life. His shadowed gray eyes pierced through her, mesmerized her. She didn't even think to watch her feet or count in her head. They waltzed effortlessly, locked in each other's gaze. In a low voice, he murmured, "My name's Sirius, by the way. I don't think we were introduced."

She blinked, suddenly realizing every implication of their actions. If her father saw…she swallowed. She'd done nothing wrong, she reminded herself. Her gaze returned to his, his dark eyes capturing hers. "Andromeda," she breathed, wondering how they'd managed to get this far without at least recognizing each other. Though, it had been over ten years since she'd seen her cousin. His hand tightened around her waist. Looking up at him, she could see nothing resembling the devil of a seven year old she remembered.

"Our parents won't be too happy." He seemed to be enjoying the thought of their parents displeasure, but his eyes still held hers, dark and enigmatic.

Quickly, she glanced around for her father, hoping he couldn't see her. He'd be furious. Laughter bubbled from her lips at the thought of trying to explain herself. Merrily, she told him, "Many a pureblood has courted his cousin. It's when you take it off the dance floor that the scandals begin."

He laughed too at the truth in the statement as they waltzed. Sirius seemed to slowly relax as they whirled around the floor, though his intensity never slackened. She felt relaxation seeping into her and realized that never had she felt like this before on a dance floor, as if she was… floating, or weightless. As if gravity didn't hold her here… he did. Looking into each others eyes, it wasn't as if they were dancing, it was as if they were connected, were one person.

She felt as if they'd just stepped onto the floor when the band suddenly stopped playing. Blinking, Andromeda looked around. The room had thinned out incredibly, the ancient clock on the wall reading just after midnight. Her face crumpled in disappointment. Seeing it, Sirius began to laugh, a low reverberation she could feel coming from deep in his chest.

"We've danced every dance- lasted longer than the band," he observed. At her reluctant smile, he ducked his head to murmur in her ear, "But who needs the band anyway?" And with that, he pulled her close, both of them beginning to sway to music only they could hear.

When they finally called it quits, they were alone in the room, except for Karkaroff. Cold eyes watched the two teenagers pass him at the doorway. At his unyielding gaze, Andromeda blushed and even Sirius couldn't meet his eyes. They knew what Karkaroff was thinking, and exactly how he felt about it, but Andromeda didn't have a scandal in mind for the night. They were just dancing, and if her heart was racing and her skin flushed, it was that and nothing more.

They walked towards the ship together, each reveling in the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. The rush of waves to the beach was comforting, the light breeze playing with strands of her hair. The rain had stopped, but a cool mist was slowly enveloping the beach, giving it a surreal glow. At the edge of the dock, Sirius stopped, and Andromeda looked inquiringly at him.

"Aren't you going aboard?" she asked, confused. Most guests would sleep the night on the ship, then floo home in the morning when the Castle's grates were lit.

"No. I think I'd rather sleep in my own bed tonight," he replied. She looked up at him, but his face was in shadow. She wished it was light enough to see him by.

"Oh. Well… goodnight then."

"Goodnight then." Sirius smiled, the white flash of teeth visible even in the dark. In a gesture that reeked of overly gallant courtesy, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly before turning smoothly and striding away.

Watching his retreating form from the ship's deck, she was struck by a quote she'd heard once in an old muggle book; heard, but hadn't really understood the depth therein.

Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night;  
Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die,  
Take him and cut him out in little stars,  
And he will make the face of heaven so fine  
That all the world will be in love with night...

(A/N)

Want to see Sirius's point of view? Read "Almond Eyes" my other fic-in-progress. Same story, different point of view.

Would some quotes tempt you?

Walburga was a class A act in theatrics; the only genetic trait he'd ever admit to inheriting from her, apart from her gray eyes.

"I was disowned, all right?" Sirius snapped. People who were disowned were never talked about, they were forgotten. It was like voluntarily orphaning your children. Though he'd expected it, it still shocked him a little.

"Wonderful," Alphard exclaimed, his eyes fazing into the witless blue stare of lunacy he'd come to adopt. Smiling briefly at Sirius, he turned for the doorway, saying as he went, "I will arrange everything, lad. We'll be in touch." And Alphard was gone.

So there's chapter two. Before anybody freaks over these two being cousins, I have to point out two things, one is that I believe in friends before fireworks, but I also believe we teenagers have intensely active imaginations (I do, at least) and lead ourselves astray on occasion. The second thing is that as Sirius points out in the HP books, there are relatively few purebloods in England, and they're all very closely related, so it's not as much of a taboo that two cousins would be romantically involved, because, well, look at Molly and Arthur, who are biologically related (OotP). OR Walburga, Sirius's mother, who did actually marry her third cousin (HPL Black Family tree). I liken it to the old Egyptian royalty system…. Until everybody had to marry their sisters and the empire collapsed. Also, I believe in soul mates. I wrote this story with the idea and intention that every human barrier possible cannot hold love back. So there. 3 Kt

(If you don't like it, quit reading now. It's only going to get worse.)


	3. Chapter 3

A Little Bit Reckless

Chapter 3

A scream rent the morning stillness asunder, causing laborers to look up from their work and shield their eyes against the sun, trying to find the sound. Her arms spread wide, the wind whipping her long brown hair behind her like a banner, Andromeda screamed again in pure delight as her winged steed dove, making her feel almost weightless in the saddle as he hurtled towards the earth. His mighty wings spread out wide as he pulled easily out of the dive, still a half thousand feet above ground. She hugged his neck, trying to keep her balance astride, and breathed in the musky smell of horse and hay as she laughed weakly, the adrenaline rush making her tremble.

Broomsticks were one thing, but nothing could compare to riding a winged horse when it came to pure adrenaline. She petted Tristan's neck affectionately, ruffling his coal black mane as he winged ever closer to their destination. Shielding her eyes against the sun, she pulled her omnioculars from the saddle bag and searched the clear blue sky for her sisters. They were probably way ahead of her by now. Neither Narcissa or Bellatrix ever felt the need to stunt dive hundreds of feet above ground like she did. Reckless was the word Narcissa used, sniffing dismissively. Looking down, she saw hills and valleys stretch out before her, glowing shades of green and yellow in the pale morning light. Spain was never more beautiful than in the spring, and she already dreaded the ending of her two week Easter vacation here. Rocking almost unconsciously in the saddle to Tristan's powerful wing beats, Andromeda gazed over the landscape, searching for her second home.

The Black family owned some very large estates in southern Spain which Andromeda visited every holiday. She usually spent all summer in Spain, except for occasional trips back to England. It was a pity Easter break was only for two weeks, she mused as Tristan began to descend, sweeping his gray wings back and floating gracefully downward. He'd spotted the manor, though it looked more like an oversized, rambling farm house, from a mile away, long before she would've picked up on the familiarity of what she was seeing. Vineyards stretched out in all directions covering well over a thousand acres. The Black Family owned the biggest vineyards in Spain, she'd been told. One day, Andromeda thought, savoring the crisp morning breeze on her face, she might just decide to live here for good.

Finally reaching the ground, Tristan back-winged, causing a whirl of dust in the landing area through which Andromeda guided him. Andromeda led him to the stables, politely declining the stable boy's eager offer to assist, and dismounted from the beautiful thoroughbred who shoved his nose against her shoulder playfully. Taking his saddle, bridle, and other tack from him and hanging it on the wall, Andromeda led Tristan out and into an adjoining meadow where his stable mates were already grazing. Tristan, spotting the white female, Delilah, spread his wings proudly and almost strutted into the pasture. Chuckling to herself, Andromeda left the horses and headed for the house. If her horse was lucky, Narcissa's mare would only show teeth to warn him off. Delilah had drawn blood before, but some stallions never learned.

Entering the house through a back door, Andromeda headed directly upstairs, eager to see the one person who made Spain special. As she walked down the second story hallway, she frowned curiously at the echoing sounds of a child shouting crossly. Opening the bedroom door on the right, her eyes found the family's hired governess within, an irritable woman named Mrs. Wakefeld, who was clutching the arm of a three year old girl with her taloned fingers. The girl, her hair an eye-aching hue of neon blue, had her face scrunched up in a mulish expression as she tried to extricate herself, yelling "No! No, no, no, no, no!" as loud as she could.

When Mrs. Wakefeld's pale eyes glanced up to see Andromeda standing there in the doorway, her hand sprang from the child as if she had been burned. The girl saw her too, and ran over, crying, "Mommy!" as Andromeda scooped her up. Leveling an icy stare on Mrs. Wakefeld, Andromeda silently raised an eyebrow questioningly. Pursing her lips, the governess gestured towards the child. "She refuses to change the dreadful color of her hair despite anything I do. I do not think it proper for a child to be such a constant eyesore. She needs to learn to control her… disability"

"Since when was it a child's job to be aesthetically pleasing?" Andromeda asked her coldly. She'd made no secret of her distaste for the governess, hired to watch over Nymphadora in Andromeda's absence. But Mrs. Wakefeld had come highly recommended (by who, she couldn't imagine) and Andromeda's father refused to account for a child's feelings when dealing with her care.

Mrs. Wakefeld sputtered apologetically until Andromeda coldly dismissed her for the day. Leaving the play room, she bounced Nymphadora on her hip contentedly, happy to see her girl again. As soon as they started down the hallway, Nymphadora wiggled out of her arms and grabbed her hand, talking a hundred miles per hour in a convoluted mix of English and Spanish as they walked down the hall, regaling her with the tale of how she'd changed her hair to the color of Droobles Best Blowing Gum and Mrs. Wakefeld had taken away all her toys.

Smiling whimsically, Andromeda swung Nymphadora's hand, telling her very seriously, "Well, we'll have to find something else fun to do, won't we? We could….." she looked around, "clean hallways!" At this, the child made a grimace, wrinkling her nose. "Hmm," Andromeda pretended to think hard. "We could…. bake cookies?" Nymphadora seemed to think about it, before shaking her head decisively. Andromeda grinned, knowing what would get the girl's attention. "We could feed the horsies?" She laughed when the little girl's blue eyes lit up, and she was dragged down the hall by the babbling three year old begging to ride the flying horses.

After stopping in the kitchen for some apples, they spent the morning feeding and watering the horses. Andromeda even got her coal black and gray stallion, Tristan, to stand still long enough to let Nymphadora sit on him by bribing the horse with fruit. Andromeda loved times like these, when she was out in the stable showing her daughter how to brush the horses' hair and manes. Nymphadora might not be her biological daughter, she reflected for what must be the thousandth time, watching the girl's smile of delight, but she was the only mother the little girl had known, and it had been agreed years ago that it would stay this way.

So Andromeda had no qualms when the little girl asked 'Mommy' if she could go to the Feria that weekend. Andromeda agreed, promising to go on pony rides, and the Ferris Wheel, and everything else the carnival apparently had in store, knowing as she did that this Spanish carnival was a muggle one. What her father didn't know though, would not hurt him.

Brushing dirt off her tight-fitting dark blue jeans and cream colored shirt, Andromeda stood up and blew her bangs out of her eyes, suggesting they go inside for lunch. Nymphadora jumped up, mimicking her by brushing horse hair off her yellow t-shirt and they trudged back up to the house. Eying her daughter over lunch, Andromeda decided it was long past time for a haircut. Nym may be a metamorphmagus, but her handle on her power had only progressed to color change at her young age, and it took a lot of effort on her part. Nipping back upstairs while Nym was eating, Andromeda went down the same hallway she'd earlier visited and opened the left hand door to her own bedroom.

Inside, she found Bellatrix, her back to her, staring at the pictures littering Andromeda's bureau. She looked over when Andromeda softly closed the door, a picture of Nym at her third birthday in her hand. There was an unusually pensive look on Bella's face in place of the haughty sneer she usually employed. The room was silent while Bella put the picture back into its place. With her back to her younger sister, she said, "I saw her governess leave and came looking for you. She seems… happy to see you."

Andromeda bit her lip, crossed the room, and stood by Bella. Together, they watched the moving photographs. Their family's biggest secret looked up at her with wide eyes, exuberant and innocent: sitting in front of Andromeda on her winged horse, blowing out her three birthday candles, smiling adorably as she put ornaments on a Christmas tree. "She is happy, Bella."

Bella nodded once, swallowing. She stared at the photographs, avoiding Andromeda's eye. "You… you know why we switched the birth certificate." It was a statement, but there was a plea within, for reassurance. Bella had ever put much store by ethical boundaries, but her sister had views of right and wrong too, and she needed to know she'd been right in doing as she had. Andromeda could see that.

Andromeda stared at the wooden bureau intensely, as though the answers to Life's mysteries were written on it. "Because Father had just arranged your betrothal with the Lestranges." She glanced at Bella. "They never would've agreed if they'd known you were pregnant."

There was a pause. Bella's dark eyes squinted. Andromeda thought she looked like she was struggling for words. "You have no idea… if he'd found out I was… I was seventeen, but…" Again that plea took form between words. Did I do the right thing?

"I know, Bella." Andromeda said consolingly.

"He would've disowned me."

"I know. We had to do something."

"Thank you." The words were whispered, and they shocked Andromeda. Bella had never thanked anyone for anything in her life. It was nice to know, almost four years ago, when she had told Cissy and Andromeda about the baby, and they had made a plan, that it was appreciated, that Bella understood the sacrifice that she had made for her. The girls had paid a healer to deliver the child and put Andromeda's name on the birth certificate in place of Bella's.

"It's what sisters do, Bella. They help each other out."

Andromeda had been thirteen when Nym was born. Looking back, she couldn't believe her parents had believed them, but her sisters and her had planned for any circumstance. When Cygnus had heard her barefaced lie though, that the baby was hers… his temper had been terrifying. Andromeda had thought he was really going to throw her and the baby out on the street. Instead, he'd arranged for the child to be moved to their Spanish estates, far away from England, and far away from discovery, should any family friends or business associates come to call. Of course, this also meant far away from Andromeda, and she missed seeing Nym so much during the school year, it was like a constant stomach ache.

Feeling the need to do something to break the tension in the room, Andromeda turned towards the desk situated by the window. Opening a drawer, she dug around, looking for her trimming shears. Without a word, Bella spun on her heel and left the room, the door closing softly behind her. Sometimes, Andromeda wondered if Bella regretted not keeping her daughter. She'd never shown an interest in Nym, but seemed to avoid her as if she were the plague. Andromeda didn't know if it was the shame of what she had done, or the guilt of having passed the burden off on someone else that made Bella reticent, but she avoided anything to do with Nym. Andromeda wasn't ashamed to admit that she enjoyed having Nym all to herself and that she jealously guarded what little time she had with her. Looking at her moving pictures again, Andromeda smiled tenderly, watching Nym jumping excitedly up and down in silence, her face lit up as she tugged at her hair, her mouth moving a hundred miles per hour. The black and white photograph didn't show it, but she'd just turned her hair pink for the first time.

She dug around in her bureau, trying to find something to drape across Nym's shoulders while she cut her hair. Catching sight of herself in the full length mirror beside her bureau, Andromeda moved closer to study her reflection. Dark brown hair cascaded down her back nearly to her waist, except for bangs which hung in her eyes. She made a mental note to trim them after she cut Nym's hair. Her eyes were a light brown, eyes the same shape and shade of almonds, just like her little girl's. She smiled. No wonder they had believed she was Nym's mother so easily. Both their features were remarkably similar to Bella's in shape. Though, Andromeda decided jealously, against all practical or biological reason, Nym didn't look anything like Bellatrix. Turning her head from side to side, she noted winged eyebrows and a straight nose, porcelain skin, and high cheek bones. In all honesty, she was rather pretty, she thought, running fingers through her hair. Her mirror image winked at her, flashing her a gorgeous smile. Shaking her head at her mirror, she left, heading to the kitchen. Were all mirrors this vain about their appearance? Or maybe they keyed into the egos of their reflected personas. She wasn't sure, and didn't really want a straightforward answer, seeing as she didn't consider herself overly vain.

Going back downstairs, she went into the kitchen planning on cutting hair. When she got there, she paused in the doorway, closing her eyes and slapping the palm of her hand to her forehead in mock-exasperation. Nym was smiling deviously, as only a three year old could, with her bright blue hair now spilling all the way to her knees.

"And Aragorn the King Elessar wedded Arwen Undómiel in the City of the Kings upon the day of Midsummer…" Andromeda read softly, even though the child snuggled up against her had fallen asleep long ago. Smiling, she closed "Return of the King", and turned out Nym's bedside lamp before slipping out of the room, as had been her habit for the past week. Why the girl had come to fancy Middle Earth, she would never know. Checking her watch, she was surprised to see it was only nine o'clock. It had seemed much later for some reason. She turned towards her room to see a sheaf of parchment stuck to her door.

The Gang is having a get-together at Reggie's house.

Lucius said you've all been there before, so you can

floo there. Party starts at 10pm, BYOB

Dolph

Bella and I are flooing there at Ten o'clock.

If you want to come with, come find me before

that time.

Narcissa

Andromeda grinned, remembering the teenagers' planned party at Durmstrang. She went into her room, picking through her wardrobe for some clothes, the hoodie and shorts she was wearing weren't exactly stylish. As much as Andromeda disliked her parents' soirees, she enjoyed the parties cooked up by their teenage connections. Though she wasn't much for the drinking herself, it was fun when everybody got together and shot some bull, played some poker, and acted like teenagers instead of proper miniatures of their parents. Finally picking out a brown tank top and black jeans with sequined black flip-flops, Andromeda spent a few moments on her hair and face, then left.

Leaving her room, she snuck down to the kitchens, hoping the house elves wouldn't be up. She took an Everlasting Candle from it's wall sconce and engaged it's levitation charm with a spoken word, causing the thing to follow her down the stairs leading down into the wine cellars. As the cool, somewhat sweet breeze drifted up from there, she thought she heard female voices. BYOB the letter had said, a teenage term for "Bring your own booze", and that was exactly why she could hear her sisters in the wine cellar. Andromeda came down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. The voices hushed immediately.

"It's just me," she said, trying to project her voice to them. After a moment, Cissy came into view, her face glowing pale in the wand light. Behind her, Andromeda could see another wand's glow, meaning Bella was not far away. Looking somewhat relieved to see her younger sister instead of someone else coming to check on the cellars, Cissy led her down the narrow aisle between cobwebby shelves weighted down with hundreds of bottles, most labels all but illegible. Andromeda blew her candle out, envious of her older sisters for being of age and allowed to use wands where she couldn't until June. Ahead of them, Bella let out a hushed cheer, emerging from the darkness with her wand in one hand and a bottle of Torres Best Cream Sherry in the other. Andromeda's eyes widened incredulously. "Do you realize what they'll do if they know you're stealing vintages!"

"Oh, come on Anna! It's not like I'm stealing a Chardonnay!" Bella said defensively, knowing full well the bottle she held in her hand could fetch a thousand galleons or more. Both of them swung their gaze towards Cissy, searching out her opinion of the pilfering, but she was busy blowing the dust off the label of another bottle. "Yes, I think this one will be alright…"

Andromeda looked over Narcissa's shoulder; it was a bottle of Meritage, a low quality Bordeaux blend. She sighed in relief, at least Cissy had enough sense not to take something that would definitely be missed. Cissy shoved the bottle into her shoulder bag, extending her hand for Bella's bottle with a bit more grace, as if in respect of its contents. Andromeda, meanwhile, started squinting at labels, finally finding a bottle. It was a bottle of deep red wine which sparkled purplish in the wand light. Wiping off the label, she handed it to Narcissa as well. "Now can we please leave?" she asked nervously, eyeing Narcissa's bag.

Bella smirked, asking if she was afraid of the big bad house elves, and Andromeda was about to make a scathing reply before Narcissa hushed her frantically. All three girls stopped dead, hearing boots moving above their heads. As one, their eyes were drawn to the ceiling, Narcissa clutching her bag. If anyone asked to see the contents, they would all be crucified, never allowed to return. None of them breathed until the footfalls faded out of sight. Andromeda closed her eyes, breathing out deeply. Bella crept toward the stairs, looking up towards the door with her wand aimed at it, the bright bluish light shining on it. With a hiss, Narcissa dragged her away before anybody upstairs could see the light. "Are you mad! What if they see us, or the wards go off!"

Bellatrix jerked her arm out of Narcissa's grasp. "Don't you remember? We took down the wards before we came down here! Besides, we have to get up there somehow, don't we?"

"It's too late," Andromeda told them in softly. "I shut the door on my way down. The wards will have regenerated by now. We can't go back out that way."

Both Narcissa and Bellatrix looked up at the closed door, as if they'd suddenly see wards glowing. Then all three of them stared at each other in dawning horror, realizing the implications of their predicament.

(A/N)

As a fan fiction writer, I spend twice as much time researching my characters than I do actually writing them. The sound of Karkaroff's voice, the actual first names of the Black family members, the names of families and social circles that were actually around during the Marauder time period are all details straight from the books. Therefore, the deliberate adjustments I make for my story DO irritate me to an extent, but I have to choose between two evils. I could either adjust Nymphadora's parentage believably, or I could just forget her existence. Sorry- those are the breaks. I love Nymphadora too much to forget her existence.

If it makes you feel any better, Ted Tonks is going to play a role in my story… I believe we meet him the following October, maybe August (my plans aren't too defined). And then you will all finally know why I think Tonks takes after her father's name.

Also, I didn't have Sirius in this chapter at all. I know some people are confused by that, and I'm sorry. But for Andromeda, Spain is her paradise away from all her troubles, and she tends to forget her complicated issues while going about her daily Spanish business. Believe me, next chapter, going to Regulus's "a.k.a. Reggie's" house, she does run into Sirius.

Tell me how I'm doing!


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